Rolls-Royce Cars

In August, last summer, we travelled from Portugal to Poland for an incredibly thrilling tour of the city of Warsaw at the wheel of a Rolls-Royce. Can you imagine yourself in such a scenario? Well, it’s astounding. Just thinking about it makes you want to experience it again. At our disposal, we enjoyed: the Phantom Series II – the British brand’s classic; the Phantom Extended Series II – the pearl we had the pleasure to drive; the Ghost Black Badge – a real charmer; and the Cullinan Frozen Lakes Creation – a beautiful beast that left us sad not to have tested it, because time was too short, but which left us wanting more. Eager to find out more about the models? We’ll talk about each of them later, but before that, let’s take a look at the brand’s history.

In 2021, 5,586 of the brand’s cars were sold throughout the world; China was the leading market

In 1904, despite being from very different worlds, Charles Royce and Sir Henry Rolls began their journey in the world of automobiles, starting the production of first-class cars. Needless to say, from then onwards they created true four-wheeled luxury gems. This is how the first Phantom came about, in 1925. Rolls was born in London’s Berkeley Square and studied mechanical engineering at Trinity College, in Cambridge. Royce was born in Peterborough, England, and began working at age 9 – he sold newspapers and worked as a telegram boy and errand boy. At 14, he began an apprenticeship with the Great Northern Railway Works. He spent nights studying algebra, French and electrical engineering, and became a natural engineering talent, thus securing a job with the Electric Light and Power Company

. There he worked with his engineer friend Ernest Claremont producing electrical components and it was at this time that Royce patented improvements to the bayonet lamp, which is still in use today. When he bought a second-hand French two-cylinder Decauville, he began to show interest in the construction of cars. He was a perfectionist and had a motto: «Take the best that exists and make it better». And this is just what he did. In 1903, he designed and built his first petrol engine and in April 1904, he drove his first Royce 10hp motor car in town. It was this pursuit of perfection that made Rolls and Royce an example of success to follow. The models that have been launched over the years are proof of this – true luxury cars.

On the day of our arrival in Warsaw, we stayed at the magnificent Raffles Europejski Warsaw hotel – a highly recommendable venue. At the welcome drink in the evening, we had a meeting/briefing with the Rolls-Royce team, who introduced us to a piece of the brand’s history. We talked about engineering and design, as well as the perfection in the creation of these incomparable cars. In 1911, an icon was born, celebrating the time of beauty, because Rolls-Royce is beauty. Did you know that the brand’s symbol is associated with the image of a woman? Well, the symbol came from a mishmash of pieces. And it remains an icon to this day. An interesting fact: in 2021, 5,586 of the brand’s cars were sold throughout the world; China was the leading market. No wonder that the Rolls-Royce philosophy is: unique, hand-made, authentic, beautiful and rare. For example, the Phantom is the exponent of car beauty. The front end looks like a gallery made of titanium.
At a time when there is much talk of the electric era, the brand has also committed to this segment, and the first Rolls-Royce SRH was created for St. Richard’s Hospital Paediatric Day. And 2023 will see the launch of the first electric - the Spectre.

To immerse yourself in the world of Rolls-Royce is a sublime experience – this is enjoying driving in luxury and comfort

Now let’s talk about the models we introduced to you at the beginning: the Phantom Series II is the latest expression, with perfection, change, more preserved and with cutting-edge technologies. The Phantom Extended Serie II, at 22 cm longer, has a distinctive character and two types of seats. Both boast the same NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) tests, with combined CO2 emissions of 345 g/km and a consumption of 15.1 l/100km. They differ in the WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure) tests: the first has combined CO2 emissions of 351-362 g/km, a fuel consumption of 15.5-16.0 l/100km and goes from 0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds; and the long version has combined CO2 emissions of 353-365 g/km, fuel consumption of 15.6-16.2 l/100km and accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 5.5 seconds. In addition to this, they also differ in appearance and exterior and interior finishes. The Ghost Black Badge denotes minimalism and engineering, has a 6.75-litre V12 engine and offers greater power (600 hp), re-designed suspension and chassis for enhanced performance and accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 4.7 seconds. Finally, the Cullinan Frozen Lakes Creation celebrates the magic of winter and is the answer to owners who want to turn authentic off- and on-road travel into a true luxury experience. It accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds. 

To immerse yourself in the world of Rolls-Royce is a sublime experience – this is enjoying driving in luxury and comfort. Whether as driver or passenger, you will feel powerful inside a car of this range. Every year, the brand tries to modify or modernise something in its models, as we had the opportunity to experience on this trip to Warsaw. So, hit the road!